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LG has teamed up with Razer and MediaTek to develop a new Bluetooth gaming controller that could greatly reduce the input lag for cloud-based gaming. According to LG, it’s the first controller to utilize Ultra-Low Latency (ULL) Bluetooth technology — an in-development standard that aims to make wireless controllers as responsive as their wired counterparts.
The BT ULL-enabled controller was compared against a non-specified “standard controller” at LG’s webOS Summit event on Friday. “The demonstration highlighted the superior responsiveness, reduced input lag and control precision of the BT ULL technology across various cloud-based games, including FPS, fighting and racing titles,” LG said in its newsroom post.
Input lag on Bluetooth controllers can vary by model and environmental factors, but anything below 10–20 milliseconds is preferred. Wired controllers typically have a lower input latency, which makes them appealing to competitive gamers. Razer’s new ULL Bluetooth gaming controller was supposedly demonstrated with a “game-changing 1ms input lag.”
Google once tried to solve controller input latency issues with its Stadia service, enabling the controller to connect directly over Wi-Fi to Google’s data centers. This allowed Google to avoid the added Bluetooth latency. After Google shuttered its Stadia service last year, the company released an update to enable Bluetooth on its Stadia controllers for use on PCs, Macs, phones, and other devices.
Bluetooth ULL support is being built into select LG 120Hz OLED and Mini LED TVs that use MediaTek’s MT7921 WiFi chipset, which are scheduled to launch in 2025. LG is also planning to introduce a certification for third-party ULL-supported controllers to ensure they “work seamlessly with LG webOS smart TVs,” with Razer being the first company to qualify.
There’s no price, release date, or even an official name associated with the new Razer controller yet, so it may take some time before it’s available for consumers to buy. We could get some additional details on both the controller and LG’s ULL-supported TVs at 2024’s CES, which is taking place January 7th–10th.
